WOS International Conference
I would like to thank the body for sending me to the WOS International Conference in Pittsburgh. This was an amazing opportunity to form a true sisterhood with those in our local and sisters from other locals. I was also very impressed by the support of our union brothers who also attended.
Our first day was filled with registration, exhibits, and a District 7 meeting. District 7 is the largest district, and the WOS participation was far above that of the other districts. We had speakers that had started the program and paved the way for us to continue in their footsteps.
Tuesday started with a General Session unlike any I’ve been to before. We got to hear from the newly appointed International Women of Steel Coordinator Randie Pearson. She asked the presenters to speak in their native languages, and provided us with transcripts in English, which was refreshing to not ostracize the French/Spanish speaking sisters. I was able to attend a class on Raising the Bar on Women’s Health and Safety. It spoke to the ill fit of mens PPE on a woman’s body, and the needs of anyone transitioning genders. Also highlighted were restroom availability, nursing/pumping location availability, support for domestic violence, menopause, cancer, stress, and mental health among other things. Tuesday night was a rally to support the University of Pittsburgh’s organizing campaign.
Tuesday into Wednesday is when things got less than fun for a lot of us. We aren’t sure exactly what it was, but an illness ran its way through the sisterhood. I believe over 200 sisters got sick, and some were hospitalized. As such, I was not able to make it to Wednesday’s General session or the early class, but after lunch time felt well enough to go to class while masked. My first class was about Difficult Conversations. It helped to identify if a conversation is worth having, and if it is, how to go about it to find a smart ending (specific, manageable, attainable, realistic, and timely). Wednesday’s last class was how to increase your social network presence. They spoke about the different platforms, which I found helpful since I monitor the Local’s website and the newly started Facebook group for the Local 59’s Women of Steel Committee.
Thursday’s general session was cancelled out of an abundance of caution to avoid any additional spread. Many of the resources we used during the convention are available in the USW app, including the keynote speech video: Know Your Power. I would like to thank the local again for sending us on this fantastic learning opportunity.